entomology

Periodical cicadas are famous for their unusual life cycle. After spending 13 or 17 years underground, huge numbers emerge at the same time, covering trees and filling forests with their loud calls. However, these remarkable mass appearances may become increasingly rare. A study from the University of Iowa suggests that periodical cicadas could eventually face […] The post America’s Famous Cicada…

WESTCHESTER, Fla. (THE CONVERSATION) — If you’ve ever had to prepare a meal for a picky eater, you know it’s not easy. They may not like certain flavors or textures, and there are often foods you have to avoid altogether. And it turns out, humans aren’t the only species with picky eaters – mosquitoes can […] The post Why Do Mosquitoes Like Some People More Than Others? appeared first on Morning A…

A scoping review of 91 studies, combined with a workshop involving 41 experts from six European countries, mapped the spread, biology, surveillance challenges, and potential disease relevance of the invasive mosquito Aedes koreicus. The researchers identified major gaps in species identification, vector competence, ecology, genetics, and long-term surveillance that must be addressed as the cold-t…

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lady beetles, aka ladybugs, are among the most recognized beneficial insects in gardens and landscapes. The adults and larvae feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects, making them important natural enemies of common pests, says Tamra Reall, University of Missouri Extension horticulturist. The larval stage is especially important. Lady beetle larvae […] The post Lady Beetles…

Molecular data have transformed systematics, but should their absence automatically weaken a taxonomic study? Drawing on field experience and our recently published work on Euterpnosia cicadas, I argue for clearer roles for phylogeny, morphology and expert taxonomic judgment.

ATHENS, Ga. — Oftentimes, researchers will tell you they are looking for a silver bullet. A single solution to a highly complex problem. For vegetable entomologist Saumik Basu, the search for that elusive solution has led to an unlikely insect that could come surprisingly close. Despite their intimidating name, black soldier flies aren’t aggressive. These […] The post Small Insect With Big Potent…

An investigation of species traits, community composition, and seed-removal activity reveals how ecological processes can be maintained following major landscape disturbance.

Californians are spotting swarms of dragonflies in parks and farms, likely due to warm spring rains

Roughly one in every four animal species on Earth is a beetle. Coleoptera, the order that covers everything from ladybugs to weevils, holds about 400,000 described species — around 40%... The post Beetles in Your Yard: How to Tell Good From Bad appeared first on 33Science .

The virus that causes eastern equine encephalitis, or EEE, has evolved to infect mosquitoes. To be able to spread between people, however, it faces extra challenges.

A team of researchers at Michigan State University have found that locusts can distinguish PFAS by smell, a discovery that could potentially be used to develop improved PFAS monitoring equipment.

The rediscovery of Papilio alexanor in southern Italy marks a historic moment for Italian lepidopterology. The post How Citizen Science and Fieldwork Rediscovered Papilio alexanor in Southern Italy first appeared on Blog .

Scientific Reports, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-61788-w Correction: Field trials of the novel varroacide, 1-allyloxy-4-propoxybenzene, against Varroa destructor in Western Canada

Scientific Reports, Published online: 17 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-65084-5 Tracking twolined spittlebug, Prosapia bicincta , movement in upland pastures of Hawaiʻi

Scientific Reports, Published online: 16 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-66395-3 Wild bee Lasioglossum malachurum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) responses to pesticides and urban pollutants: linking cholinesterase activity and morphological traits

Earlier this summer, Vox set up two big bug traps in New York City — like, literal traps that catch bugs. Our goal was to try to discover a new insect species right in the middle of the city because the bulk of them are still unknown to science.  We now have some exciting, albeit […]